Method of making building blocks



Oct. 30 1923. 1,4725% R. B. DULA' METHCD OF MAKING BUILDING BLOCKSOriginal Filed June 12, 1919 advent oz c" EOZer%.[)

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ROBERT E. DULA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF MAKING BUILDING BLOCKS.

Original application filed June 12, 1919, Serial No. 303,710. Dividedand this application flled'November I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. one, a citizen of the United States, andresident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofMaking Building Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to building blocks, particularly those made tosimulate bricks and artificial or imitation stone blocks, the presentapplication being a division of applicants copending case Serial No.303,710, filed June 12, 1919, patented arch 28, 1922, No. 1,411,005.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a buildingblock wherein the face is subdivided by lines or courses of exposedcement or mortar, thus simulating the appearance of a pluralityof'bricks or stones bonded by mortar or cement. blocks may be readilyand economically molded and may be of any predetermined or selectedsize. \Vhen a multiplicity of these blocks are employed, as in theconstruction of a wall, the exposed face of the finished wall will have.the appearance of being com posed of a large number of small bricks orstones, with the mortar lines or joints visible in the usual manner,although, as a matter of fact, the wall will be made up of amultiplicity of relatively large molded blocks.

.Furthermore. in the practice of my invention, the mortar lines orjoints and the brick or stone-like sections marked off thereby may bearranged to imitate any design or form of bonding employed in bricklayinoor stone masonry work.

t is also my purpose to provide a building block having the body thereofcomposed of a hard and set cementitious material and having the facesection thereof subdivided by grooves through which parts of amortar-like layer on the body are exposed in imitation of ordinarymortar lines or joints, the back of the block being preferably providedwith a smooth unbroken and uniform surface, preferably in the nature ofan enameled coating or face to provide an interior finish to take theplace .of the usual plastering.

The present application relates to the improved method whereby theblocks, either hollow or solid. may be rapidly, accurately andeconomically molded and finished, my

Serial No. 515,777.

- method contemplating the provision of a in a rapid and efficientmanner by means of my method.

lVith the above recited objects, and others of a similar nature in view,my invention consists in the improved building block and in the methodof making the same, set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building block embodying myinvention, with the back face thereof exposed.

Figure 2 is .a similar view but with the front face of the blockexposed.

F igure 3 is a cross sectional view taken through a knock-down moldandshowing therein a layer of material such as is used for making the backface of the block.

Figure 4 is a similar view but showing the mold as also containing thematerial for the body of the block. and an imposed layer of mortar orcement.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through the mold and showing themanner of forming the front face of the block.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the mold filled with the material of theblock and with the grid for forming the mortar lines in position.

Figure 7 is a perspectire view of the grid.

Figure 8 is a crossse ctional view through one of the armsof the grid atFigure 7 Figure 9 is a cross sectional view through a modified form ofgrid arm.

In the drawings I have shown, and will now describe my invention inconnection with a hollow building block, although I wish it to beunderstood that it is equally applicable to the construction of solidblocks.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in detail the letter Aindicatesany ordinary and well known form of knock-down mold for making theblocks and B designates the core pieces of the mold. In the manufactureof the block shown in Figures 1 and 2 the bottom of the mold is firstcovered with a layer 1 of a suitable plaster, such for example as anenamel-like plaster which will constitute the smooth unbroken back faceof the block. The core pieces being in position the mold is almostfilled with abody of as i cementitious or plastic material of acharacter suitable for the forming of the body of the block. Thismaterial may for example be composed of concrete, or of a compositionmade up of crushed cinders, shale, broken stones and cement, or indeedthe body may be of any cement-like substance trast to theface of theblock so that the mortar lines or joints will be clearly defined as inthe case of ordinary brick work. Upon this mortar layer 5 I- place askeleton or grid C which is preferably composed of metal with the armsbeveled or tapered as shown at c in Figure 8 and with the bottom of eacharm concaved as shown at 0. The purpose of beveling the arms is topermit the ready removal of the grid after theblock has been made, andthe urpose of concaving the bottom faces of t e arms is to give arounded appearance to the completed mortar joints so that they willstand out prominently on the finished block. In Figure 9, the bottomface of the grid arm is shown as concaved sharply or to approximatelywedge-shape, as at 0 With the grid in place the mortar laye 5 is coveredwith a layer 6'of cementitious material which is intended to form thefront or exposed faceof the'block. This material, as heretoforeindicated, should give a color sharply contrasting with the mortar layer5. For example if the layer 5 be white, gray or black, the layer 6 mightbe red, yellow or salmon color, in the case of bricks, or a deep brownor dark gray to imitate stone. When this layer has been po-- sitioned asshown in Figure 5, any suitable tool T'may be employed to scrape orlevel this facing layer 6 flush with the top face of the grid, thelatter acting as a guide for the truing or leveling of the face of theblock. Of course the arms of the grid which are disposed according toany desired pattern of mortar line or joint, will prevent the materialof the face layer 6 from covering those parts of the mortar layer 5which lie beneath the arm, and consequently when the grid is removedupon the completion of the molding operation, as by inserting a hook orother tool inthe slots 0 of the grid, the

mortar lines or joints, indicated at 7 will appear exposed at the faceof the block.

When the block has thus been molded, and

has hardened and set the mold may be knocked down and the block removedin the usual manner.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings the construction and method of making my improved block will bereadily understood. It will be noted..,t hat each block will have theappearance of being built up of a plurality of bricks or stone united bylines of mortar, and when a multiplicity of these blocks are assembled,'as in the construction of a building wall, the entire wall will havethe appearance of having been built in the usual manner. broken backfaces of the blocks especially when made. of an enamel-like cement willpresent a smooth interior finish for the wall or other structure, thusobviating the necessity of plastering, crating and the like,consequently attaining manifest advantages from the standpoints ofcleanliness and Furthermore, the flat, un-

in placing a pattern member on said masonry body, in imposing a layer ofcontrasting masonry material over said body, in finishing the surface ofsaid layer, and in then removing the pattern, whereby: is provided apatterned masonry layer with parts of a contrasting masonry bodyexposed.

2. The method of making a building block, which consists in firstprovidinga body of masonry material, in placing a grid member on saidmasonry body, the grid member defining or outlining courses or oints, inthen covering the said body and grid with a layer of a contrastingmasonry material, in dressing and finishing the face of the said layer,and in then removing the grid, whereby is provided a jointed masonrylayer with the contrasting masonry body exposed at the joints;

y 8. The method of making a structure used for building or the likewhich consists in first providing a layer of masonry material, inplacing a pattern member on said masonry layer, in imposing a second andcon. trasting layer of masonry material over the said first layer, infinishing the surface of said second layer, and in then removing thepattern, whereby is provided a patterned masonry top layer with parts ofa contrast-- ing bottom layer exposed.

4:. The method of making a building block, which consists in firstproviding a layer of masonry material, in placing a grid member on saidmasonry layer, the grid member defining or outlining courses or joints,in then covering the said layer and grid with a second layer of acontrasting masonry material, dressing and finishing the face of thesaid second layer, and in then removing the grid, whereby is provided ajointed masonry top layer with the contrasting masonry bottom layerexposed at the joints.

5. The method of making 7 a building block, which consists in firstproviding a layer of masonry material, in placing a grid member on saidmasonry. layer, the grid member defining or outlining courses or jointsand the under faces of the arins of the .grid being concave, in thencovering the said layer and grid with a second layer of contrastingmasonry material in finishing the face of'said second layer, and in thenremoving the grid, whereby is provided a jointed masonry top layer withthe contrasting bottom layer exposed at the joints, the upper surface ofthe exposed portions being rounded.

6. The method of making a structure used for building or the like, whichconsists in first providing a body of masonry material of cmentitious ormortar-like substance, in placing a pattern member on said masonry body,in imposing a'layer of a contrasting masonry material of a plasticsubstance over the said body, in finishing the surface of said. layer,the finishing being guided by the pattern member, and in then removingthe pattern whereb is provided a-patterned masonry layer with parts of acontrasting masonry body exposed.

7. The method of making a building block, which consists in firstproviding a layer of masonry material of cementitious or mortar-likesubstance, in placing a grid member on said masonry layer, the gridmember defining or outlining courses or joints, in then covering thesaid layer and grid with a second layer of a contrasting masonry ma-gterial of a plastic substance, dressing and finishing the face of thesaidsecond layer,

the finishing being gixided by the grid mem-- r by is providedfa jointedmasonry top layer layer her, and in then removing the grid, wherewiththe contrasting masonry bottom exposed at the joints.

s. The herein described method of making f a building block whichcomprises placing a body of plastic material in a mold to form the bodyof the block, then placing a layer of cementitious or mortar-likematerial on such body, placing a pattern member 'on said mortar-likelayer, then imposing a second or face layer of plastic material on thefirst layer, then dressing and finishing the second layer, and thenremoving the pattern to leave the parts of the mortar-like layer whichwere covered by such pattern, exposed in contrast to the face layer.

9. The herein described method. of making a molded building block whichcomprises placing a layer of cementitious material in a mold, thenplacing a body of plastic material in the mold and upon the firstmentioned layer, toform the body of the block, then imposing alayer ofoe-- mentitious or mortar-like material onsuch plastic body, thenplacing a pattern onthe mortar-like layer, then imposing an outer facelayer of plastic material on the mortar-like layer, then dressingandfinishing the outer face layer and then removing the pattern to leavethe parts of the mortarlike layer which were covered by such patternexposed in contrast to the outer face layer.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 15th day of November, A. D. 1921.

ROBERT E DULA.

